On January 9th, Master Ryuho Okawa, founder of Happy Science, gave a public lecture at Pacific Convention Plaza, Yokohama, in Japan. The lecture, entitled “The Gateway to the Future”, drew primarily on the topics discussed in the newest book in the Happy Science “Laws” series: “The Laws of Mission”. Around 5,000 people gathered at the main venue, and the lecture was also broadcast live to various venues all around Japan.

The day of the lecture coincided with the coming-of-age day in Japan, and Master Okawa referred to this when he began. He said that young people in their 20s and 30s struggle just to stay afloat in society, but it is also an important time to find aspirations to continue to strive for.

Master Okawa also spoke about Donald Trump, commenting that market prices will rise after Trump’s inauguration as U.S. president, and he provided insight into how politics and the economy will move this year.

Happy Science’s Words Are Reaching the Core of the World

Late last year, a leading representative of the Happiness Realization Party (HRP) and the director of the Happy Science International Public Relations division, partook in a forum celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration. Master Okawa said in his lecture the those two were given important seats, and the HRP representative, Sakurako Jinmu, clearly laid out the HRP’s policies to the Russian side, including their plan to connect Japan and Moscow via maglev.

“[Happy Science's] words seem to be reaching the Russian side, and they even told us that they will put pressure on North Korea,” said Master Okawa. “Our influences are far greater than what the Japanese media believe it to be”.

Master also commented on Japanese PM Abe’s hesitation in establishing relations with Trump:

“I went inside Trump Tower before Mr. Abe. I went when I did my lecture in New York [2nd October 2016] . . . This is what we call ‘foresight’. Whether you’re running a company or organising a nation, it is fatal if you fail to grasp the greater trend”.

Master Okawa raised Japan’s economic policy as an example of the failure to grasp the greater trend. “It’s gotten to a stage where rectifying is impossible”, he criticised.

He explained that, not relying on macro policies implemented by the government, and each individual having the will to persevere, are vital to opening the “Gateway to the Future”.

“What Japan now needs is more power to compete in the world, the right education, and the power to lead the world with its public opinion in politics and economics . . . the important thing is for each one of us to have the power to persevere.”

Master Okawa also explained the current situation where souls of dead people are stuck in limbo between Heaven and Hell, emphasizing the need to spread the truth.

“When we die, there is another world waiting for us . . . some people fall straight to hell: these are people who led others in the wrong direction. People who didn’t go that far into evil do not know where to go, and they’re stuck in limbo.”

One way to save these people is for their living relatives to awaken to God’s truth. Spreading the truth – living for the Mission – is the important job of helping to save many peoples’ souls.